Chapter 933: Mutual Attacks at the Standing Committee

Wang Qigang sat in his office the whole night.

The ashtray was piled with cigarette butts, the water in his tea cup had gone cold, and he hadn't taken a sip. When it got light, he called his secretary Xiao Zhang into the office.

"Let Wan Xiaoqing go to Mortal Group to discuss resuming work. Tell her that as long as the project can restart, anything can be negotiated."

"Secretary Wang, regarding Mortal Group..."

"Do it!"

Wang Qigang had no interest in listening to Xiao Zhang's nonsense; a glare sent him out.

Two hours later, Wan Xiaoqing returned to report; her face was so grim it could only be described as bleak, giving Wang Qigang an ominous feeling.

Wang Qigang weakly asked: "Didn't you get it done?"

Wan Xiaoqing shook her head: "The people at Mortal Group say the group is leaderless, its financial system can't operate. They also said the projects forced to halt aren't just Cloud Peak Mountain Villa."

"Cloud Peak Mountain Villa has halted work, and their excuse is: your Tax Bureau has taken over the group's financial system, blocking payment for construction materials, so suppliers are demanding payment at the door. Didn't you tell them that in this matter your Tax Bureau can handle things specially and approve the allocation of construction funds?" Wang Qigang asked.

"I said so."

Wan Xiaoqing frowned: "But they say even unblocking the financial system won't help; they need Ye Jiaying's personal signature to release funds. In other words, they're forcing us to release Ye Jiaying."

"Damn it!"

Wang Qigang slammed his palm on the desk, making the tea cup jump.

Wan Xiaoqing stood in front.

She timidly asked Wang Qigang: "Right now, there really is no other way. How about… releasing Ye Jiaying? Let's solve the immediate problem first."

"Arresting people yesterday and releasing them today—what would that look like? Politics isn't child's play!" Wang Qigang's face darkened: "I don't believe we can't get past this hurdle without releasing her."

Saying that, Wang Qigang immediately picked up the desk phone.

He called the Municipal Party Committee Office: "Notify everyone to hold an expanded Standing Committee meeting in one hour; all department heads must attend."

At ten a. m., in the Municipal Party Committee meeting room.

Silent faces filled both sides of the long table, the air heavy as the sky before a storm.

No one chatted idly today.

Nobody smoked.

Some lowered their heads pretending to read the meeting documents, some fiddled with their pens posing as thinkers, and others stared blankly at the tea cup in front of them, eyes on nose, nose on heart.

Some well‑informed people already knew that Lao Ma of the Urban Construction Bureau had submitted his resignation. A Division‑level official, he said quit and quit, even throwing out the words 'I'm leaving the Party.'

This fire burned hot enough to make everyone present silent as cicadas in winter.

Wang Qigang arrived right on time, his face dark as iron, threw his briefcase onto the table, and the first thing he did upon sitting was scan the room, finally fixing his gaze on Lin Dongfan.

Lin Dongfan sat on the left, with the meeting documents spread before him, his expression unreadable.

"Let's begin the meeting!"

Wang Qigang's voice carried a surge of anger.

He solemnly asked Lin Dongfan: "Cloud Peak Mountain Villa has halted work again. The province is asking who will explain—will you, Mayor Lin, go, or shall I?"

"Secretary Wang, if you want me to go, then I'll go."

Lin Dongfan had clearly expected Wang Qigang to pass the buck.

He calmly countered: "But you first have to tell me exactly how to explain: should I say the Tax Bureau sealed the contractor of a key project without sufficient evidence? Or should I say Wan Xiaoqing, eager to make a mark right after taking office, handcuffed the province's major taxpayer, causing the project to stall?"

"!!!"

Wang Qigang's face turned black.

After holding back for several seconds, he managed: "The Tax Bureau's investigation was lawful; the procedure is fine!"

"Lawful investigation?" Lin Dongfan chuckled: "Wan Xiaoqing spent over ten days poring through thousands of accounts, found nothing, yet she seized the books and cuffed people—is that also lawful?"

"Mayor Lin!"

Wang Qigang glared: "Do you really want to solve the problem, or just get rid of Wan Xiaoqing?"

"Of course I want to solve the problem," Lin Dongfan stressed without yielding, "but before we solve it we must first know where the problem lies!"

Upon hearing that, many in the room nodded in agreement.

Wang Qigang laughed angrily: "Then where do you think the problem lies?"

"It's obvious Wan Xiaoqing is abusing her authority," Lin Dongfan said.

That was exactly what Wang Qigang had been waiting for.

His eyes like knives, he immediately turned the tables on Lin Dongfan: "Wan Xiaoqing is the chief of the Tax Bureau, and the Tax Bureau is a subordinate agency of your municipal government. If the Tax Bureau enforces the law improperly, shouldn't you, the head of the government, bear the main responsibility?"

As his words fell, all eyes turned to Lin Dongfan.

Some secretly watched, waiting to see Lin Dongfan lift a stone and drop it on his own foot; others secretly broke a sweat for him.

Logically speaking, Wang Qigang's counterattack had no flaw.

Discipline Inspection Commission's Shi Liantang spoke: "According to what I know, when Wan Xiaoqing went to Mortal Group to enforce the law, Mayor Lin tried to dissuade her, but she refused to follow leadership orders……"

"Secretary Liantang!"

Wang Qigang directly cut off Shi Liantang's words.

And he sharply retorted to Shi Liantang: "Can a subordinate's disobedience be used as an excuse for a superior to shirk responsibility? If some comrades can't even manage a subordinate, how can they govern a city?"

"!!!"

Shi Liantang, who is usually not good with words, was left speechless.

Just as everyone was secretly sweating for Lin Dongfan,

Unexpectedly, Lin Dongfan suddenly laughed like a winner: "Secretary Wang, I'd like to ask you who promoted Wan Xiaoqing? A Section‑level official with no political achievements, promoted two ranks in a row straight to bureau chief. Was it your name on the Standing Committee agenda? Was it your decision? Now she's caused a mess, and you say it's my failure to supervise, wiping your hands clean! I ask you, aren't you the kind of guy who pulls up his pants and denies knowing someone?"

"Lin Dongfan, watch your language!"

"Pulling up one's pants and denying acquaintance'—that vulgar saying made Wang Qigang flush with anger.

Lin Dongfan's smile didn't fade: "What's wrong with my wording? Do I have to speak in official jargon, like you, wearing a human skin but saying nothing human, for it to be proper?"

Lin Dongfan!!!

Wang Qigang's tone suddenly rose sharply.

He was so angry his eyes almost popped out: "This is the Municipal Party Committee meeting room, not your family's bathhouse! If you want to play the shrew-scolding-the-street routine, please get out!"

Speaking, Wang Qigang pointed toward the door.

Full of official authority!

This gunpowder‑reeking scene left everyone present startled.

In the past, it was common for disagreements to arise during meetings, but it was the first time the top and second-in-command had openly torn into each other.

Shi Liantang lightly pressed Lin Dongfan's arm, signaling him not to act rashly.

"Old Shi, don't try to dissuade me."

Lin Dongfan shook off Shi Liantang's hand and stood up.

But Grandpa isn't intending to leave.

He calmly loosened the red tie at his chest and said: "Wang, I've tolerated you for far too long! Do you believe it? Today I not only dare to scold you, I dare to hit you!"